Maine DOT To Hold Public Meeting On How To Spend $21 Million Volkswagen Settlement

In this April 28, 2017 file photo an e-Golf electric car with the VW logo on a rim is pictured in the German car manufacturer Volkswagen Transparent Factory (Glaeserne Manufaktur) in Dresden, eastern Germany.

Jens Meyer
/ Associated Press/file

Maine’s Department of Transportation will hold a public meeting in Portland Tuesday night to present its plan for spending the state’s $21 million share of settlements with Volkswagen.

That’s in the wake of allegations VW deliberately violated nitrogen oxide pollution requirements for vehicles it sold or leased in the U.S.

The director of MDOT’s environmental office, Judy Gates, says the agency plans to spend some $3 million of that to finance installation of a robust network of electric vehicle charging stations.

“And provide enough density of charging infrastructure so that people can overcome range anxiety and know that they’ll be able to charge their vehicle within an acceptable distance,” she says.

The draft mitigation plan also proposes financing to convert diesel trucks, buses, ferries and tugboats to lower-emission technologies, as well as conversions for other systems such as forklifts and other cargo handling equipment.

The meeting runs 6-8 p.m. at University of New England’s Proctor Hall.